


Of Peruvian Hats and Peppermint Kisses

by magickalmolly



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 09:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9228338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magickalmolly/pseuds/magickalmolly
Summary: This was supposed to be the best winter break ever. It wassupposedto be perfect. Unfortunately, the excitement, as well as Ryan's vertical state, became rather short-lived when Ryan's foot discovered a hidden patch of ice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written November 28, 2007.

Ryan sat on the loveseat in the cozy sitting room of his family's chalet. There was a toasty fire crackling in the hearth, a pile of the latest magazines at hand, and the view of the landscape through the large bay window was clear, snowy, and utterly breathtaking.

Yet, despite all of this (or, really, because of it), Ryan was hunched up amidst the fluffy pillows, arms crossed over his slim chest and his face set in a scowl. 

This was supposed to be the best winter break ever. It was _supposed_ to be perfect. Ryan determined to make it so as soon as his mother had announced one night over dinner that both he and Sharpay could bring a friend to spend a few days with them at their villa before she and Mr. Evans were scheduled to arrive. 

Ryan had practically tackled Chad in the hall at school the next day to ask him to come along. The jock refused at first, claiming to know nothing about skiing and ice skating and all that stuff. But Ryan had been persistent – snowboarding videos and pictures of the lodge, and best of all, the offer of three days where they could eat, sleep, and do anything they wanted.

Of course, if Chad had known just exactly what it was Ryan wanted to do (and more specifically, what he wanted to do with _Chad_ ) he might have stayed home. Dance lessons and baseball games at the country club were quite different from a vacation with no chaperone. But Ryan and Chad had become good friends during the summer, making this offer certainly nothing out of the ordinary.

And so Ryan had charmingly persuaded, Chad had said finally yes, and yesterday morning the two boys (with Sharpay and girlfriend in tow) had shown up on the front steps of the chalet, red-nosed and excited.

Unfortunately, the excitement, as well as Ryan's vertical state, became rather short-lived when Ryan's foot discovered a hidden patch of ice. The blond found himself quite suddenly staring at the snow-covered roof and the three astonished faces bent over him. 

The only thing that had eased Ryan's acute embarrassment was the feeling of Chad's arms around him as the other boy actually carried him all of the way from outside into the front sitting area. 

That had been... well, it had been fabulous, if not embarrassing for a whole other reason. Sharpay's knowing smirk certainly hadn't helped, and Ryan had glared at her while simultaneously fighting against the urge to wrap his arms just a little more tightly around Chad's warm neck. 

Ryan's ankle was proclaimed only lightly sprained, but it was enough to keep him on the loveseat and not out shushing down the slopes as he had planned. 

Wonderful. So much for the perfect winter break.

"Hey..." Chad peered around the wide doorway, and his welcomed appearance shook Ryan from his dark thoughts. In his borrowed ski gear, the other boy looked... ridiculous, honestly. Nevertheless, Ryan couldn't help but to think he looked adorable, too, and grinned to himself at the sight. 

Absolutely nothing Chad had on matched with anything else. He was wearing a bright red coat, green and blue gloves, black ski pants (with a purple stripe!), and silver ski boots. The whole ensemble was topped with a Peruvian hat, knitted in stripes of orange, indigo, and brown. 

The hat, especially, made Ryan want to giggle. The other boy's curls didn't quite fit underneath. They poked out stubbornly around his face, and Ryan felt the now familiar besotted smile fighting to show itself whenever Chad was around. He'd had this crush for so long, it was funny. Well, it was _almost_ funny. Ryan contained the smile with what felt like an eternity of practice. 

Pretending to save his place in the book on his lap, Ryan raised his eyebrows in polite curiosity. 

"Off for the slopes?" Crush aside, Chad was his friend, and Ryan didn't plan on ruining the other boy's good time just because he'd suffered a graceless moment. He would be graceful now, if only in his manners. 

"Um, yeah." Chad shifted from one booted foot to the other, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Well, at least... your sister made me promise I'd help her and Lea carry their skis out to the lift, but then, I thought, maybe..." 

Ryan found that his years of acting lessons came in handy in moments like this, and he gave Chad a gallant smile. "Hey, I invited you along so you could have a good time. Not sit in here when there are mountains to conquer. Besides, Shar's really good at skiing – let her show you how it's done, and at least try it a few times. Go have fun."

"But..." Chad trailed off lamely. His eyes tracked towards the landscape outside the window, then back to Ryan, loyalty for his friend clear in his gaze. 

Ryan couldn't help but to thrill at the sight. He'd given Chad permission to run off for the snow, but the boy was going to stay with him. Yes!

"Chad! We're ready!" 

Sharpay's voice rang out from the top of the staircase, and her booted feet could be heard descending, quickly and loudly. " _God_ , where is that basketball monkey...? Oh! There you are!" 

Ryan smirked to himself at how quickly his sister could change the tone of her voice. It went from bellowing to annoyed to sugary-sweet in a blink of an eye. 

He actually sort of envied her that. 

Sharpay appeared around the doorway, resplendent in a ski outfit that was bright pink, sparkly, and trimmed in fur. Both Ryan and Chad rolled their eyes at the sight, but Sharpay pretended not to notice.

"Chad; Lars is meeting us at the lift for our lesson in ten minutes. The skis are in the hallway." 

When Chad didn't instantly move, Sharpay made a shooing motion with her gloved hand, indicating that he should go see to her wishes. When he still didn't move, she huffed and turned, stomping away towards the front door.

Chad looked to Ryan, half pleading, half apologetic. Ryan only offered a tired smile – he really wasn't in a mood to deal with his sister's wrath just now – and waved Chad off.

"Go on, Wildcat. I'll see you later."

"But..." Chad lingered, flinching when Sharpay hollered for him. "Um, yeah. I guess I should go."

That had been five hours and twenty-three minutes ago. Not that Ryan had been counting. Of course, stuck with his foot perched on the ottoman, he'd been left with nothing _else_ to do, and Ryan settled more deeply into the pile of pillows around him, sighing in his loneliness. 

The next thing Ryan knew, something was tickling his cheek, and he could hear the soft sound of laughter. Struggling back to wakefulness (when had he fallen asleep?), Ryan blearily opened his eyes, looking around until he caught sight of the culprit. 

There was Chad, leaning over him upside down with a devilish grin. One hand was holding that ridiculous knitted hat, just high enough so the tassels could brush against Ryan's face. 

Ryan stared, caught between the glory of Chad's smile (god, it really was _gorgeous_ ), and the horrified realization that Chad had seen him asleep. And for who knew how long? 

What if he'd snored? Or, oh _god_... what if he'd drooled!? Ryan rubbed a hand against his jaw, subtly checking for saliva.

"Good morning, prince charming. Or, well, good evening. It's almost dinner time." 

Without preamble, Chad climbed over the back of the loveseat and flopped himself next to Ryan. The seat was small enough that when he settled in, there was no room between their bodies. Ryan and Chad's legs pressed from hip to knee, shoulders lining up snug. 

Ryan could feel warm flesh and solid muscle through the denim of Chad's worn jeans. He could smell the scents of snow and clean sweat on Chad's body, and with that smile turned towards him... Ryan had to wonder if he was dreaming the whole thing.

He was also trying to recall his manners, but his brain was still fuzzy from sleep, and how incredibly hot Chad looked just now. The boy's hair was an absolute mess; wind-tousled and curlier than usual, if that was even possible. His cheeks and the bridge of his nose were pink from too much sun. And dressed in nothing more than old jeans and a thick fisherman's sweater, Ryan wasn't sure how he managed to keep himself from climbing into Chad's lap. 

"Um. Did you have fun?" In his mind, Ryan slapped his forehead with his palm. 

Chad shrugged, but then grinned, his head ducking a little. "Yeah. It was cool." Laughing, Chad looked sideways at Ryan, and Ryan congratulated himself on not tackling the other boy to kiss him senseless right then. 

"Even though I spent most of the morning on my butt," Chad admitted with a roll of his eyes. "But you were right about the ski pants; they kept my shorts nice and dry!" 

Leaning back, Chad reached down and tugged on the waistband of his jeans as if to illustrate, and Ryan was treated to a flash of bare belly and the elastic waist of Wildcat red boxer shorts. He unconsciously shifted, flushing.

"Oh, hey. Your ankle bugging you?" Chad sat up, forehead creased in concern when Ryan suddenly looked so uncomfortable. Ryan sank back a little more, hoping the dimness of the room would hide the color staining his cheeks. He shook his head and lifted his foot a bit, but couldn't hide the wince when it twinged in pain.

"Dude, don't move it. In fact, don't move, period. I have a surprise for you. Just the thing that'll make you feel better." 

Smiling, Chad hopped to his feet. "Be right back." He tossed his hat in Ryan's lap and headed out of the sitting room at a jog, leaving Ryan to stare after him with a sigh of appreciation. 

"I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave... " Ryan leaned over the arm of the loveseat a little further, looking even after the other boy had disappeared from view.

"Oh, put your tongue back into your mouth; you look like Kitty Fraser's pet schnauzer." 

Ryan jumped at the sound of Sharpay's voice, and he felt the heat rise up in his face again, all of the way to his roots. Without waiting for an invitation, Sharpay crossed the room and took Chad's place on the loveseat, shamelessly snuggling up to her twin.

Ryan was annoyed enough with Sharpay's comment that he didn't immediately offer to snuggle back. But when she gave him a pleading whimper and turned her big brown eyes up at him, he relented, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

Ryan was learning the hard way that he was a sucker for big brown eyes.

"Why'd you have to go and hurt your ankle?" Sharpay sighed miserably, her cheek pressed to Ryan's chest. "Lea's no good on the slopes. She won't race with me or _anything_. And Raggedy Andy spent all day falling down." 

"Well, gee, Shar, I'm sorry I'm ruining _your_ vacation," Ryan muttered. He glanced over to see if Chad was back yet, and frowned when all he spied was an empty hallway.

Ryan loved Sharpay, probably more than he loved anyone, but right now he wished she'd disappear. Chad had something for him. And while it wasn't probably what he was hoping for (namely a full-body massage, with the giver of said massage dressed in only a pair of basketball shorts), he was pretty sure he wasn't going to want to share it. Even with his sister. 

Sharpay burrowed up against Ryan, giving her brother a hug. That was as close as Ryan knew he'd get to an apology for her selfish remarks, so he took it, hugging her back. He'd been lonely all day, after all, and the cuddle from his twin _was_ appreciated. 

"Ugh, I hate this." Sharpay sat up, huffing. "Just... get better, okay? I can't be the only one around here who's any good on the snow. Even if I'm way better than you." Sharpay smirked as she added, "You _never_ beat me down the slopes."

Grinning, Ryan shook his head. "Oh, right. Maybe you're faster than me because you've been hitting the éclairs again... " 

Ryan gave his sister's slim side a playful pinch, to which she responded with a gasp, slapping the offending hand away.

"Oh my _god_ , Ryan! Here I am trying to make you feel better, and you're being mean to me!" 

Ryan only smiled, and Sharpay gasped again, climbing from the loveseat. 

"Fine! I hope your foot falls off." 

Sharpay pulled herself to her full height, ready for a dramatic exit. But she hesitated, and Ryan's eyebrows raised in surprise when she gave a quick kiss to his cheek. Then she clicked away, the sound of her high-heeled boots ringing down the hall after her.

Leaning back, Ryan rubbed at his face with an affectionate smile and an indulgent shake of his head. His hands dropped into his lap a moment later. 

Chad's hat was still there, forgotten in the wake of his sister's drive-by disquiet. Ryan picked it up, smiling more as he toyed with the silly tassels. After a moment, he looked around, and when Ryan saw that he was still alone, he brought the hat to his nose, slowly inhaling. He let his eyes fall shut at Chad's scent clinging to the wool. 

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Ryan from his daydreaming, and he felt his face bloom crimson when Chad materialized once more. Without thinking, he stuffed the hat between the seat cushions, a guilty grin on his face.

Chad hadn't noticed, and he crossed to the loveseat, a steaming mug in each hand. 

"Ta-da! Hot chocolate a la Danforth."

Ryan accepted a mug with a laugh, delighted and surprised both. "Wow, thanks!" 

Chad hadn't been kidding when he said he had something that'd make Ryan feel better; the deep mug was full with dark, thick cocoa, which was topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles. The whole thing was finished off with a candy cane. 

Chad sat back next to Ryan, gesturing for him to drink. "Go ahead; try it." 

The way Chad was grinning at him, Ryan was sure he would have tried anything in that moment. 

Carefully, so as not to burn his tongue, Ryan took a small sip. His eyebrows rose straight to his hairline when he tasted that there was more in the mug than cream and chocolate.

Chad shrugged in reply to Ryan's look, sipping from his own mug. "Your parents were kind enough to leave the liquor cabinet unlocked," he murmured innocently, sipping again.

Ryan drank deeply, savoring the large splash of peppermint schnapps there. It wouldn't make his ankle heal any faster, but at least he'd not care about it for a while.

"I'll be sure to thank them when they get here...! Seriously, Chad, this is great. Mmm, I love chocolate and peppermint..." 

Ryan turned to Chad, but trailed off with a giggle when he saw that the other boy had a dab of whipped cream on the tip of his nose.

Happily drinking from his own mug, Chad didn't notice at first how Ryan was trying to hold back his laughter. He eventually turned to Ryan when he felt the other boy looking at him, and he began to laugh, which startled Ryan.

"Dude, you have whipped cream on your nose," Chad said, laughing more.

"What?" Laughing as well, Ryan shook his head. "I was just going to tell _you_ that...!" 

Chad reached up to clean off the spot from his own face, but missed it entirely, and Ryan shook his head again, giggling.

"No, here; it's right..." Without thinking, Ryan cupped Chad's cheek so he could swipe his thumb across the end of Chad's nose. Chad was grinning at him, still chuckling, and he mirrored Ryan's actions. His face scrunched up in a playful mask of concentration as he made sure Ryan's nose was completely clean as well.

Realizing what he was doing – how close he and Chad suddenly were – Ryan's hand quickly dropped away. His cheeks flamed hot. 

Chad didn't seem to notice, and Ryan watched, wide-eyed, as the other boy sucked the cream off of his thumb with... was that a smirk? Ryan was too flustered to be sure. Either way, he felt sweat prickle all across his skin at the sight. 

Chad's closeness was disarming, his smile _beautiful_ , and surely there wasn't enough schnapps in the hot chocolate to make him drunk after a few sips... was there? 

Sitting back a little, Ryan looked down at the mug in his hands, overcome with shyness and want. But he squeaked in surprise a moment later, nearly spilling his drink when Chad's hand shoved itself into the tight space between their bodies.

"Aha! I was wondering where I'd left this..." 

Grinning triumphantly, Chad held up his silly Peruvian hat. It was rumpled from where Ryan had hid it between the cushions, and Chad gave it a shake, which didn't help one bit.

Laughing, Chad set his hot chocolate aside, and turned to Ryan, grin decidedly more mischievous than it had been a moment ago.

"Dude, you're not wearing a hat." It was a strange statement for Chad to make, but Ryan had to concede that it was true. He'd taken off the wool newsboy cap he'd been sporting earlier, tossing it across the room in a fit of boredom. It was still on the floor near the fireplace, but Ryan felt silly pointing it out now, so he kept quiet, only shaking his head in reply.

"Ryan Evans without a hat is like, against nature." Chad's grin widened, and Ryan had a sudden knee-jerking thought: was he being flirted with? He just didn't know, and drank deeply from his mug, which was easier than trying to figure it out.

Chad continued to grin, and when Ryan didn't say anything, Chad reached up and put the hat on Ryan with a playful tug to the tassels. 

"Perfect! Oh, Ryan, that's so _you_." 

Ryan could tell he was being teased, and he pulled the hat off again, flushing in embarrassment. "Yeah, whatever." He handed the hat back to Chad, unwilling to meet the other boy's gaze.

"Whoa, dude... I'm just kidding. Hey," Chad ducked his head a little, trying to look Ryan in the eye. "Seriously, it looks good on you." 

Silently seeking permission with a raise of his eyebrows, Chad put the hat back on Ryan's head once more, smiling warmly when the other boy allowed it.

"See? You look like... Lars, the Swedish ski instructor." Chad couldn't hold back his giggles, and as much as Ryan felt he shouldn’t encourage the other boy, he found himself softly chuckling as well, unable to resist.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's really sexy," Ryan reached up to pull the hat off again, but Chad stopped him with a shake of his head, his hand gently capturing Ryan's in his own. 

"No, leave it on; I like it." 

Ryan didn't know how to reply to that. Every word he knew seemed to suddenly leave his head, and he could only stare blankly at Chad. But Chad didn't seem to mind, and in fact, seemed encouraged by it.

Leaning closer, right into Ryan's personal space, Chad's free hand came up to cup Ryan's cheek, just as Ryan's had done to him earlier. Ryan was helpless to resist following the gentle lead as Chad urged him closer. His eyes were wide and searching as he tried to figure out what Chad was doing. Chad only continued to smile, and he closed the distance between the two of them until his lips and Ryan's were only a breath away. 

Chad kissed Ryan then, and it was everything Ryan thought a first kiss would be. Shy and a little too over-eager, their noses bumping even as their mouths gently touched. Overcome with giddiness, Ryan laughed, unable to stifle it. Fortunately Chad laughed as well, and their breath mingled, sugary and damp. 

Chad leaned in again, more carefully this time, and this kiss was slow and wet and... Perfect was the only word Ryan could think to describe it. He felt himself sinking into the warm, pepperminty sweet taste of Chad's mouth with all the dizzying speed of a man tumbling down a hill.

Ryan didn't know how much time passed before the kiss ended. He was lightheaded with the need to breathe, and breathless with the need to kiss Chad again. But Chad had pulled back too far to oblige, and Ryan looked to him, unsure in the aftermath.

"Was... I mean, um. That was okay... right?" Chad asked, one hand rubbing back and forth across his own thigh. 

His eyes were slightly downcast, cheeks dark, and Ryan blinked in surprise. Was Chad Danforth, super jock and all-around cool dude, _blushing_? The other boy looked suddenly shy and hesitant, and Ryan's mind momentarily overloaded with this influx of new information.

Oh. _Oh_.

As calmly as it if he did it every day, Ryan set his hot chocolate aside, then looped his arms up around Chad's neck, yanking the other boy close so he could kiss him thoroughly. Chad jerked in surprise, but his shock was short-lived, and soon his arms wrapped around Ryan's slim waist as he kissed Ryan back with reckless enthusiasm. 

Ryan was breathless when he finally pulled away, though he didn't go far – the tight hold Chad had on him wouldn't allow it. He didn't really mind, and in fact curled closer, grinning widely.

"I guess that answers my question," Chad laughed. He kissed Ryan once more, nothing more than a shy peck, but Ryan had to contain himself from wriggling in happiness.

The two boys kissed again, slower this time, lips and tongues gently seeking out one another, and by the time the kiss ended Ryan felt as if he'd forgotten everything before this moment. All that mattered was right here – the chocolately taste of Chad's kisses and the warm strength he could feel in Chad's embrace. 

More than anything, all that mattered was the way Chad was smiling at him, even though (or maybe because) he still wore the silly knitted hat on top of his head.

"I'm not going skiing tomorrow," Chad murmured against Ryan's neck. He ducked his head to press a kiss there, and Ryan's eyes fluttered closed when the other boy lingered, warm breath tickling gooseflesh to the surface of his skin.

"You... you're not? But... _God_ , Chad... " Ryan had to pull back, unable to concentrate as Chad nuzzled his throat. "I thought you had fun."

"I did. I mean, it was okay..." Chad shrugged, smile turning a little sheepish. "It's not why I came, though."

"But..." Ryan shook his head, his thoughts unusually slow just now. "You said you decided you wanted to learn to ski. That I'd convinced you how cool it was."

"I lied."

"What?" Ryan blinked, wishing his brain would unfog for just a minute and join the conversation. "I had to talk you into coming!"

"No you didn't," Chad grinned sheepishly at his own admission. "I was just playing hard to get."

"Oh my god, Danforth, you –" The rest of Ryan's rant was cut off when Chad kissed him, slow and deep.

"I wanted to be here with you." There was that blush again, and Ryan looked closely, committing it to memory.

"You... really?"

Chad smirked at that. "Yes, really. Dork." 

As if to prove his point, Chad took a hold of the tassels on either side of the Peruvian hat and leaned in to give Ryan a slow, soft kiss. Then another. And one more, kissing Ryan again and again until even the taste of peppermint was gone from the both of their mouths.

Ryan didn't have any doubts after that.

~fin~


End file.
